IoE Number:486471Location:COALING STAGE, GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY HERITAGE CENTRE, STATION ROAD DIDCOT, SOUTH OXFORDSHIRE, OXFORDSHIREPhotographer:N/ADate Photographed:N/ADate listed:05 October 2000Date of last amendment:05 October 2000GradeII

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DIDCOT
SU5290 STATION ROAD
1703/12/10003 COALING STAGE, GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY H
05-OCT-00 ERITAGE CENTRE
GV II
DIDCOT
SU5290 STATION ROAD
1703/12/10003 Coal stage, Great Western Railway
05-OCT-00 Heritage Centre
II
Railway coal stage and water tank. 1931 for the Great Western Railway. Brown engineering brick with a sheet iron water tank. Panelled brown brick walls with blue engineering brick details in two storeys, 3 x 2 bays. The trackside elevation is three storeys with a small door in the centre of the ground floor and a metal framed window with a segmental head on either side. The first floor has the canopied coal tipping mechanism again flanked by windows. A 74,250 gallon water tank above with a segmental roof. The side elevations have a window on the trackside at the west end and a personnel door accessed by a pre-cast concrete external staircase with intermediate landing at the east end. Behind is a through running arch for the coal wagons in both side elevations. These have a semi-circular head. Plain panelled wall to rear elevation. The interior has a store below and the coal stage above with the water tank supported on a central cast iron column. The original 1/2 ton capacity coal loading tubs and dumping mechanism are still in use.
History: The Didcot coal stage was built to a standard GWR design for a non-mechanical facility. Although a standard which appeared in some form at almost all the GWR motive power depots it is probably now the only surviving example and certainly the only one still in service. Didcot coal stage was built as one of the government funded improvements to the GWR in the 1930s under the Development (Loans, Guarantees and Grants) Act (1929) which was designed to provide employment in the Depression. It has been little altered and is now the only example in England still in use for its original purpose. The shed was closed by British Rail in June 1965 but continues in use by the Great Western Society.
References: Paul Bolger, BR Steam Motive Power Depots WR, Ian Allan, 1983, p 14.
Adrian Vaughan, A Pictorial Record of Great Western Architecture, OPC, 1977, pl 457 shows drawing of Didcot stage.
Chris Hawkins and George Reeve, Great Western Railway London Division Engine Sheds, Wild Swan Publications, 1987, pp 278-90.
E T Lyons, An Historical Survey of Great Western Engine Sheds 1947, Oxford Publishing Company, 1972, p 20.
Information from Michael Dean, Chief Executive, Great Western Heritage Centre.